Phil Taylor could also be a 16-time world champion, however darts icon Bobby George ‘cannot see’ him preserving tempo with at this time’s superstars.
Taylor is extensively considered the best darts participant of all time given he gained simply shy of 90 main titles all through his three-decade reign atop the game.
4
Nevertheless, darts has modified drastically when it comes to prize cash, the variety of occasions on tour, the hours of apply required and the age of these on the prime of their video games.
The dialogue of age rapidly turned related due to the emergence of 18-year-old sensation Luke Littler, who made the ultimate of the World Championship aged simply 16 in 2024.
He went one higher on the 2025 version of the match as he turned the youngest World Championship winner in historical past at 17 years and 347 days.
Luke Humphries, who beat Littler within the 2024 closing, is simply 30 and one other who’s on the peak of his powers having gained the 2025 Premier League.
With Taylor’s prime occurring properly earlier than Humphries and Littler broke onto the scene, many darts lovers have contemplated how ‘The Energy’ would have fared in opposition to the likes of the 2 Luke’s.
However George, one of many sport’s biggest characters, does not assume it might have gone too properly for Taylor.
“I can not see it,” George mentioned on the most recent episode of the talkSPORT Darts podcast.
“Phil is a front-runner, he can hit all the things when he is in entrance.
“However when he will get behind, he goes. After all, they did not hit him correctly, they did not hit him heavy sufficient.
“He (Taylor) was an amazing dart participant. However he would not stay with the gamers [of today]. Properly, none of us would.”
4
4
George additionally identified how ‘the gear’ and ‘the coaching’ has modified utterly over time.
“I went spherical to his (Taylor’s) home as soon as and he was on the dartboard,” George mentioned.
“He mentioned, ‘I’ve finished four-and-a-half hours’. I mentioned, ‘Are you able to do a few hours for me, are you able to?’
“I could not do this now. However he was devoted. And that is why he may win tournaments.
“It is simpler to say I do not assume he can, however I actually imagine it.
“I do not assume he can compete with the fellows of at this time as a result of they’re too good, they’re too constant. They’re enjoying one another on a regular basis.”
4
One match which Taylor has gained that Humphries and Littler haven’t is the World Cup of Darts.
Taylor gained it a formidable 4 instances between 2012 and 2016 alongside Adrian Lewis so as to add much more silverware to his trophy cupboard.
Humphries and Littler now have the possibility to win the World Cup of Darts as they are going to symbolize England on this 12 months’s version of the match.
The occasion begins on June 12, with talkSPORT to supply stay protection from Germany which you’ll be able to hearken to right here.